As I write this the Northeast Lecturers Association is close to signing a contract for the 2019 Northeast Grange Lecturers’ Conference.As soon as final details are available I will get them out to allwho have email.In the meantime, please save Aug. 5-7 for the conference.

The following was written by Janet Segur, Lecturer of the Massachusetts State Grange.I agree with what she says and hope that you will seriously consider attending in August.She has put a lot of time and effort into making our conference a great event for everyone.

“Lecturers and all interested in programming are invited to participate in the ‘new and improved’ Northeast Lecturers Conference to be held August 5 – 7th in Massachusetts.As of this writing, a contract with a conference center in the central area is being finalized.Surveys from previous conferences have shown a desire to have more convenient accommodations and less walking than colleges can offer.At the last conference in 2017, the State Lecturers announced we were taking a year off to revamp the conference.In addition to the type of facility, the program for the 2_ day conference has undergone major revisions.To give you a hint of some of the changes, I can reveal the State Lecturers are preparing 10-minute segments which will combine into one program on the theme of “Down on the Farm”, instead of seven state programs.With that change, it gives more time for workshops on areas pertinent to planning and presenting programs in your Grange as well as a few other ‘surprise’ activities that are in the process of being arranged.The program and registration materials will be mailed to each Grange in the spring.In the meantime, Lecturers can be raising funds to help your Grange send one or two to the conference.Budgeting $300 is suggested to accommodate the higher rates of a conference center vs. a college.Since the State Lecturers voted last year to hold the conference every other year beginning with 2019, think of the cost of $300/person every other year as a savings over the $200 that we were paying each year.I am excited to host the conference in this new format and hope the usual attendees as well as many more will join me in August!”

The following is the 3rd place winner in our 2018 Essay Contest…

MY FAVORITE FOOD – THE EGG

My favorite food – is the simple egg.It is so versatile!For breakfast scrambled, hardboiled, or fried over-medium, or my favorite, as a “house” omelet (add cheese and whatever is left over in the refrigerator!)For lunch as the basis for any number of quiches.And let’s not forget an egg salad sandwich.‘Egg and potato’ salad and devilled eggs to accompany dinner.And then there’s dessert:Egg custard with a hint of nutmeg, vanilla egg custard in a yummy cream puff; divided, the yolks used in he bases and the whites whipped up into mile-high meringue pies.Even when you’re sick, a simple egg-drop soup or poached or soft-boiled egg can perk you up.Very necessary at Easter, or in eggnog at Christmas – but let’s face it, in its most basic form, all it needs is a little salt!Yum.